Nissan to invest $1.4 billion in China to revive sales

Nissan plans to invest an extra $1.4 billion in China by 2026 as it launches 10 new energy vehicles, aiming to recover from declining sales and catch up with faster-moving local competitors.

Nissan Motor will invest an additional 10 billion yuan ($1.4 billion) in its China operations by the end of 2026, according to Stephen Ma, the automaker’s China chief. Speaking at the Shanghai auto show, Ma outlined the company’s strategy to reverse its recent decline in sales, including the launch of around 10 new vehicles in the coming years.

Acknowledging Nissan's slow response to the rapidly evolving Chinese market, Ma praised the agility of local competitors. "The Chinese brands were too fast, to be honest. They were exceptional in how fast they moved," he said during a roundtable interview.

Nissan sold fewer than 700,000 vehicles in China in 2024, down more than 50% compared to four years earlier. The weak performance in its second-largest market forced the company to lower its global sales forecast for the fiscal year that ended in March.

To boost its competitiveness, Nissan presented several new models at the Shanghai event. Among them were its first plug-in hybrid, the Frontier Pro pickup, and the production version of the N7, a battery electric sedan developed with local partner Dongfeng, which is set to go on sale this month.

The automaker also revised its target for new energy vehicles in China, raising it to 10 models by the summer of 2027, up from a previous goal of eight by the end of 2025. “We were always being criticised for being late to the plug-in hybrid trend, but now we have the first one. And we wanted to do something special with it,” Ma said.

The success of Nissan’s turnaround, Ma noted, will ultimately be reflected in sales and share performance. He added that the company’s new CEO, Ivan Espinosa, who replaced Makoto Uchida in March, has placed strong emphasis on rapid execution. “He for sure put a huge objective on me: fast, fast, fast, fast,” Ma said.

Espinosa was not present at the show, while Uchida, who remains on Nissan’s board until June, joined Ma for a private meeting at the company’s booth.

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